I will start this by saying I absolutely adore my in-laws, especially my MIL. However, brief litany of minor things to report:

1. Ants. Ants in the kitchen, the bedrooms, crawling around the Christmas tree. The infestation gets worse the longer we visit. They claim they have no ants except for when we are there and that the kids leave crumbs everywhere, causing the problem. Not possible unless the head ant is throwing up a semaphore when our Uber pulls into the driveway each December.
2. Temperature. The room DH and I sleep in is roasting, but the kids' room has icy condensation rolling down the windows into the beds all night long. Each kid sleeps with long underwear and several blankets even though we are visiting a western state.
3. Soap. There is never soap in our bathroom when we arrive except for one little rose-shaped cake that's been there for years (yes, I bring some with me, but it's odd to have to fly cross-country with bar and hand soap).
4. Shower. The guest shower has an incredibly open shower head that dumps an entire 50-gallon hot water heater in about 5 minutes. Nothing you can do with the one knob to reduce the flow. Plus, the kids can't manipulate it well because it sticks. FIL grouses about how we use too much hot water while we try to get all four of us clean in record-setting fast washes! We've mentioned this off and on for the past 15 years. Nothing changes.
5. Coffee. Can't understand it, because he buys amazing beans, has a great Krups machine, and measures everything right, but my FIL makes the worst coffee! And he's so genuinely happy to make it for us every morning, pouring cream, setting out specialty sugar, pre-heating the cups. It's wonderful ritual, spoiled only by the wretched brew itself. I've given up trying to diagnose the problem and just drink a cup or two each morning, keeping the grimaces to myself.

I really do enjoy our visits, but thought I could add a little fodder to the thread!

*my

Sleeping on a twin bed in a metal box. Have to go outside and walk through gravel to get to the toilet and shower. Same food at every meal. Grumpy people everywhere.

I'm deployed!

Would rather be at mi ILs with my family instead of 6000 miles away.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Constantly yapping about the weather. Weather Channel on at full volume ALL day.

I have found this to be a general old people thing. Obsessed with the weather.

Sooooo annoying!

+1

WTH is it about the weather? Is this a gloom and doom thing? Or wanting to have something to "talk" about? I don't get it. MIL is obsessed.

As a weather nut (Reed Timmer ROCKS), it's all about the science!

I live in the Midwest and have 3 weather apps on my phone I check when I get up every morning. For me it is practical, I live on a farm and need to know so I can blanket the horses appropriately and wear the right clothes to feed (2 hours outside at least).

I had a great holiday. Went home and was happy to hear the neighbor across the street got indoor plumbing for the first time recently...he is 78 and it is 2016.

Be thankful for the privileges you have.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dishes in cupboards are dirty. Nobody seems to notice.

ha ha MIL. but it love her

This is my MIL's house too. I wash every dish and glass before I use them. I am a little ocd about things being clean so it drives me crazy but yes, nobody else seems to notice.

Anonymous wrote:Dishes in cupboards are dirty. Nobody seems to notice.

ha ha MIL. but it love her

Dishes in cupboards are dirty. Nobody seems to notice.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Constantly yapping about the weather. Weather Channel on at full volume ALL day.

I have found this to be a general old people thing. Obsessed with the weather.

Sooooo annoying!

+1

WTH is it about the weather? Is this a gloom and doom thing? Or wanting to have something to "talk" about? I don't get it. MIL is obsessed.

Lol. You clearly haven't met a Midwesterner! They ask about the weather before even greeting you most days.

I'm from Indiana, and nope. Nobody I know from the Midwest is like this. You check the forecast, sure, but go on with your day. NJ in-laws are obsessed.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Constantly yapping about the weather. Weather Channel on at full volume ALL day.

I have found this to be a general old people thing. Obsessed with the weather.

Sooooo annoying!

+1

WTH is it about the weather? Is this a gloom and doom thing? Or wanting to have something to "talk" about? I don't get it. MIL is obsessed.

Lol. You clearly haven't met a Midwesterner! They ask about the weather before even greeting you most days.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FIL clipping nails in kitchen

Mine uses a disgusting back scratcher with old skin on it. In public areas.

I read this as "in pubic areas".

Vomit. Gross and now I have a visual of a backscratcher used in a pubic area.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Constantly yapping about the weather. Weather Channel on at full volume ALL day.

I have found this to be a general old people thing. Obsessed with the weather.

Sooooo annoying!

+1

WTH is it about the weather? Is this a gloom and doom thing? Or wanting to have something to "talk" about? I don't get it. MIL is obsessed.

I think it is exactly that. They focus on it because it's easy and it's something to talk about.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Constantly yapping about the weather. Weather Channel on at full volume ALL day.

I have found this to be a general old people thing. Obsessed with the weather.

Sooooo annoying!

+1

WTH is it about the weather? Is this a gloom and doom thing? Or wanting to have something to "talk" about? I don't get it. MIL is obsessed.

I like the weather, but I don't call people to discuss it like your family members. But, I am glued to hurricane coverage

I also like actual maps-I used to have a county map book that I would use to find alternate routes. But I don't take 2 hours with maps.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Constantly yapping about the weather. Weather Channel on at full volume ALL day.

I have found this to be a general old people thing. Obsessed with the weather.

This is funny because while I was in college, my friends used to joke about how I always had weather channel on my tv in my dorm room.

Unfortunately, fios broke up with weather channel and we don't get it anymore. My child used to be the weather savant when she was younger

My bestie and I have had crushes on Jim Cantore for as long as we've known each other

My husband and FIL both adore the weather and call each other to talk about it. I mean, I like knowing what to wear the next day, or whether a big storm is coming later in the week, but they take it to a whole new level. Same with road maps. They will actually sit down and spend 2 hours looking at various ways to get to a destination, just because they enjoy it. I find it mind-boggling. If I want to know how to get somewhere I ask Google.

Of course I have my quirks too, as we all do.